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Easily Make Pasta At Home With A Chitarra

Apr 17 2018

pasta, troccoli

 

Have you ever wondered how to make beautifully long and thin pasta shapes at home?  Cooks in Puglia use a kitchen tool called ‘chitarra’ or “guitar” in Italian. The tool is named such for the long wires that stretch across it in even increments.  These wires will cut pasta dough into perfect strands as the dough is pushed through them. The wires on either side of the chitarra are spaced differently to make different pasta widths.  One side will make a fettuccini shape, and the other side a troccoli shape.

If you haven’t heard of troccoli, listen up!  Troccoli are a traditional Pugliese pasta shape, especially popular in the Foggia province.  They look similar to spaghetti, but are thicker with a square cross section. This makes them a bit more rustic and chewy than spaghetti, perfect for so many sauces. Traditional Pugliese recipes combine the troccoli with meat sauce, walnut sauce, or a cherry tomato and ricotta dura sauce (you can find our recipe for that HERE)

Use the following recipe to make troccoli at home!

 pasta dough

PASTA DOUGH RECIPE

Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 400g semolina flour
  • 4 eggs
  • A pinch of salt
  • Water as needed

Method:

  1. Sprinkle flour over a large wooden cutting board or other smooth, clean surface.
  2. Place the semolina flour on the flat surface and create a cavity in the center. Add the eggs to the center of the cavity.
  3. Start to work the flour into the eggs and continue to massage the pasta until you have a dough. You will need to work the pasta for about 5 minutes.  Place the pasta ball under a piece of cloth so it doesn’t dry out.

    chitarra, pasta, troccoli, pasta cutter

  4. Divide the dough into 4-5 small pieces.  While working with each piece, set the others aside underneath a kitchen cloth. Flatten the pasta with a rolling pin until it measures 5mm thick.
  5. Place each rectangle of dough on the chitarra and press it through with a rolling pin so that the wire strings cut the dough which falls through as so called “troccoli” pasta.  Place the strands on a tray and add a little flour to keep them dry and separated. Cover and continue this process with the remaining dough.

    chitarra, pasta cutter, pasta, traccoli

 

Purchase your chitarra pasta cutter from our online shop! 

Posted by Editor · Categorized: Recipes · Tagged: chitarra, Especially Puglia, pasta, Puglia, recipe, troccoli

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Olive oil is undoubtedly one of the most common co Olive oil is undoubtedly one of the most common condiments found on our dining tables; yet, it is sometimes avoided and viewed as unhealthy. On the contrary, studies prove that the fatty acids and antioxidants found in olive oil offer several health benefits, including a reduced risk of heart disease. 

With the new year right around the corner, why not make a resolution to do something good for your health and for the palate.  Our new harvest of small producer Apulian EVOO - an iconic region for olive oil production - is ready for you!

Click the link in bio to read more about the health benefits of extra virgin olive oil and preorder the new harvest of Apulian EVOO by clicking the link in photo!
Need ideas for your New Years gathering?! Be like Need ideas for your New Years gathering?! Be like the Italians, and follow your antipasti course with Cotechino and Lenticchie.  This dish is composed of braised lentils with rich cotechino pork sausage that originates in Emilia Romagna.  The legend goes that those who eat these coin-shaped legumes will have prosperity in the new year, and the more you eat the better!
Happy Boxing Day everyone! We hope you had a wonde Happy Boxing Day everyone! We hope you had a wonderful holiday with friends and family. Remember the new harvest is here! 

Enjoy the freshest experience when our EVOO arrives right off the boat mid-January.  Olive oil is the very best when it is enjoyed fresh from the press so place your orders soon or DM for more details.
The festive season is magical anywhere, but even m The festive season is magical anywhere, but even more so in Salento. Towns and villages come alive with street markets and exhibitions full of treats, handicrafts, and traditions unique to the region and the season. Full of carefully displayed nativity scenes, beautiful sunny days and mouth-watering candy dishes, Southern Italy really is the place to be during Christmas time. Click the link in bio to read more about their Christmas traditions. 

And remember whether you want to try making some traditional Apulian dishes for you and your family, or you just want to add a little Italian touch to your holiday feasts and festivities, we can help.  Especially Puglia’s olive oil and other artisan products are the perfect addition to your pantry and a gracious gift for the holidays.  Click the link in photo to shop!
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Our small farmers from Puglia have worked hard all Our small farmers from Puglia have worked hard all harvest to share their delicious extra virgin olive oil with you.  They harvest and process everything by hand and we send it straight to your door.  Preorder the new harvest now for your holiday gifts. 

Although global shipping delays have moved the ETA to January 20th we will be sure to send the adoption certificate, information packets, and gift notes to your loved ones in time for the holidays.  They can look forward to something special in the new year!
Stocking Stuffer Giveaway! In celebration of the Stocking Stuffer Giveaway! 

In celebration of the new harvest we are giving away TEN, 250 ml extra virgin olive oil tins to TEN lucky winners.  This extra virgin olive oil is cultivated by one of our favorite farmers, Carolina Villani, in one of the most revered regions in Italy for olive oil production.  They tend a grove of Peranzana olives’ cultivar that are harvested and processed within 6 hours, directly from the field.  Follow the 3 steps below and you might get to try her 50 year old tradition! 

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The olive harvest has finally finished just in tim The olive harvest has finally finished just in time for the holidays! At Especially Puglia we have the perfect gift for your loved ones.  With our Adopt an Olive Tree program your friends and family can enjoy high quality organic olive oil year round knowing they’re supporting the local heritage and small scale farmers keeping the tradition alive.  Every subscription of olive oil comes with a certificate of adoption for your specific olive tree growing in the beautiful region of Puglia.  Choose from one of our family run olive groves and gift someone special something unique this year that will make them feel good both in and out of the kitchen. Click the link in bio or directly in post to visit our website and preorder your gifts today!
Nothing beats a bowl of pasta with tomato sauce an Nothing beats a bowl of pasta with tomato sauce and cheese on top! Drop a comment to let us know your favorite type of pasta. ⁠
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Did you know that in addition to our olive oil, ch Did you know that in addition to our olive oil, cheese, and honey, we also make homemade tomato sauce? Using our farm-grown gorgeous tomatoes, we make a bold and delicious sauce perfect for a bowl of pasta and stracciatella! Click the link in our bio for bottle of tomato sauce.⁠
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